The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 19, 2014 by the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad. The Bill amends the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The Act establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) to regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items.

The Bill specifies that the chairperson shall guide and oversee the FSSAI, preside over its meetings and exercise any other powers of the FSSAI as may be assigned to him.

Under the Act, the FSSAI consists of a chairperson and twenty-two members. The Bill proposes to add the Chief Executive Officer as a member of the FSSAI.

The Act provides that one-third of the members of FSSAI shall be women. The Bill changes this provision to state that of the 10 members of the FSSAI, representing the farmers, retailers, consumers, food scientists and technologists, one- third shall be women.

The Act empowered the Authority to make regulations by notification with the prior approval of the central government and after previous publication. The Bill states that the central government may in public interest, by a written order dispense with the condition of previous publication.

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